Selective mechanism for vending apparatus.



E. STERN & W. PACIORKIEWIGZ. SBLBCTIVI:- MBGHANISM F011 VBNDING APPARATUS.

` APPLIOATION'FILED NOV. 29, 1910.

1,009,265. y Ptented Nov. 21, 1911.

E. STERN & W. PAGIORKIBWIGZ. 'SELEGTIVB MBGHANISM FOR VENDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV` 29, 1910.

Patented Nov.` 21, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

holding devices and oNiTED sTATEs PATENToFmoE EMIL STERN WLADISLAW PACIORKIEWICZ, OF CHARLOTTENBRG, GERMANY is SELECTIVE MECHANISM FOR VENDING APPARATUS. vf

speciiication'of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

Application filed November 29, 1910.` Serial No. 594,636.

To all whom it'may concern.'

ABeit known that we, EMIL STERN and lVLAnisLAw PAGIORKIEwIoz, subjects of t-he German Emperor, residing at l0 Tauentzien'strasse, Charlottenburg, Germany, havev invented certain new and useful Improvements in Selective Mechanism for Vending Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This ,invention relates to which has for its object to select from a number of piles of articles, tha-tare arranged in horizontal and vertical rows in a show case, one single pile, so as to permit the -delivery of the desired article without interfering with the others. The piles of art-icles may comprise piled -up plate-shaped, tabletshaped or packet-shaped single p'ieces such as boxes and the like, whereupon by suitable releasing means, the removal or4 release of the lowermost or foremost single packet is effected each time.,

The construction o f the invention is explained according to the following specification by way of example in connection with an automatic vending machine, from which packets of tablet-shaped articles are deliv-l ered selectively after the insertion of a coinA and by the operation of a handle.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevationof the vending apparatus, part of the show plate being omitted so as to show the arrangement of the selective mechanism; Fig. 2 is. a detail side elevation of the coin passage and the coin-freed operatable sliding handle; Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation showingthe arrangement of the selector-fingers with respect to the rockingfyokes for the piles; Fig. 4 is a plan of one of the pile holders and yokes on an enlargedscale; Fig. 5 is a detail plan in 'horizontal section on the line A-B of Fig. l, whereby the operation of the rocking rod with its eccentric-shaped cam is shown in engagement against a tilting frame; Figs. 6 and 7 are views on an enlarged scale (front elevation and plan) which show the index adjusting device for the selective mechanism; Figs. 8 and 9 are Views which show the coin slide handle in two positions as supplementary to Fig. 2.

The apparatus box a is covered at the front by a front-plate 7) which is pro-vided with fglass-covered peep-holes or is completely vending apparal t-us provided with a selective mechanism,

6, 7, 8, 9, the places V so arranged in horizontal and transverse 'rows that the selection of one magazine-pile results at that place where one of the horiu zontal rows is crossed by a vertical row. In the example shown, only nine spaces ffor pilesl are assumed, which are arranged in three horizontal and vthree vertical rows; it is obvious vthat a larger or smaller number of the magazines'can be employed in rows.

The holding bars adapted for the magazines and extending through the apparatusbox transversely, are designated c in Fig. 3; they are omitted in the remaining figures for the sake'of clearness. The magazines are detachably hooked on Each of the magazines m1 m2 m is adapted to have its contents ejected by suitable mechanism actuated by a selector-finger fljz f". Theyare suspended from sliding rods v1, v2, oS-'inarticular connection and, so far as they are vswung forward in their engaging position, they controlthe operating members, by means' of which the lowermost packet is ejected from the piles. Accordi-ng to the const-ructional form of the magazine-pile as shown, the operating inember employed is in the form of a rocking yoke j (Figs. 3 and 4), whose side-pieces jl and 7'2 are in the form of bell-crank levers and carry 'on their lower ends spring members with tappets or pins i1. It is obvious from Fig. 3 that when causing a rocking movement of the yoke j with spring members z' in consequence of t-lie engagement of the tappets or pins z', the lowermost packet of the pile is advanced in a lateral guide until it arrives at the front to be freely dropped as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. The packet then drops into'a collecting trough d, which'is provided on the lower part of the apparatus-box and is accessible from without through a delivery slot e (Fig. 3) so that the packet can be taken out.

The rocking backward of the joke j takes place automatically under 'spring action; there are provided atl the sides of the pileholder, switch-like guides/w, along which the rearward sliding pins 1 are led in order to return to the initial position of engagement only when the yoke has completed its During the effective return rocking stroke.

slide over the forward movement, the pins 1 guides w. Thus this arrangement permits' suspending members for the said lifting rods which, as shown in Fig. 3, extend behind the selector-ngers of each horizontal row and with which tiltin frames or brackets are formed. The tilting or lifting movement of the lifting rods takes place from the side and through the medium of a vertical sliding rod u which is also rotatable and. has three eccentric-cams u1 u2 ua belonging to the three horizontal rows. The said eccentric-cams are mounted on the sliding rod u and at such variable distance from each other that either only the uppermost cam the middle cam or the bottom cam engages during a certain lifting position with the lifting rod h1, h2 or h3.' It is assumed in the drawing. (Figs. 1 and 3) that A. the 'uppermost lifting rod h1. is under the action of the eccentric-cam when the sliding rod rotates onf the axis, as shown in Fig. 5. Itwill be hereinafter described how the rotating or rocking motion is derived from the coin-freed mechanism.

Owing to the described movement of the tilting bracket or the rocking movement of the lifting rod (h1) caused by eccentric-cams,

all of vthe selector-fingers of one horizontal row are shifted into such a position that their lower ends are ready .for engagement over the pin z of the rocking frame or yoke The further swinging or rotation of the selector-lingers on the rod 'v1 lv2 o?- is limited by an abutment. If the sliding rod ful o2 or va is moved downward-for which purpose selective mechanism hereinafter described is adapted-as-soon as the above described engagement of one of the selector-fingers has taken place, the said selector-finger moves onto the pin z of the rocking yoke j, causing thesame to rock and a packet to be ejected in the previously described manner. It is obvious that this action of delivery of the packet only takes place in connection with that magazine-pile, which belongs to the horizontal row of the *rocking yokes moved by means, of tilting frames or brackets. A

While the operation in the respective horizontal row, where the selected magazine m2 is located, is derived in the described manner-in consequence of the rocking motion of the vertical sliding rod fu! with cams u1, u, uS-a similar selective moving mechanism is adapted to selectively move downward one of the sliding'rods 'v1 lv2 or 'v3 so that the effective opera-tion is imparted to the place where such vertical row and the respective horizontal row cross each other.

An axially slidable sleeve r is mounted on a rocking transverse rod s (Figs. 1, Sand 6) and has three detents or tappets r1 1'? 'r3 which are* at such a variable distance from each other with respect to the position of the three rods o1 v2 v3 that always only one of them is in a position of coincidence and ready for operation so as to enter into engagement with the hook-shaped lower end thereof. 1t is assumed in Figs. 1 and 6 that the middle pawl or detent r2 is in a position ready for engagement on the rod '0.2.

The rocking rod s is adapted to make a rocking motion in the same manner and approximately at the same time as the sliding rod u with eccentric-cams u1 u? U3. The sliding sleeve 1' takes part in this rotation and the pawl `7'2 of the saine therefore comes against the hooked shoulder of the rod v2 in the position indicated--Which is positively moved downward. `The three selector-lingers f2 ff j"s belonging to the rod 'v2 move downward in consequence of the motion of the rod and as only the uppermost finger f2 is moved into theI engaging position according to the preceding rocking motion of the lifting`rod 71.1, this finger j2 alone performs the operation on the rocking frame j belonging to the magazine m2 and provided with pin or detent a, whereas \the remaining selector-lingers are idle.

It is obvious from Figs. 1 and 6 that if the sliding sleeve 1" were shifted t'o the right or to the left, the pawl r3 or r1 would be operated instead ofthe pawl T2 and the rod os or 'v1 rendered operative accordingly. Thus the selection of any vertical row with respect to any horizontal row of the magav zines 1s possible and dependent on the adjustment of the sliding sleeve 7' and the vertical sliding rod u respectively. The differential adjustment ofthe said parts 1' andv fu, is effected by the vfollowing describedv construction, which, however, only serves as a' suitable means, because other meansmay also be employed for the selective adjustment of these parts. selective determination of the adjusting position for the ro'd u as well as for the sliding sleeve r may be derived separately and un-` automatically from certain handle slides combined with indexes. construction as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the adjusting movement is derived in one common function.

According toFigs. l` and- 6 the rocking It is obvious that the 'i In the combinedof .a sleeveor hollow shaft is the operated member in the shaft s bears a bevel Wheel 81 engaging with another bevel wheel a2, 4which is a part u", which can rotate in a suitable bearing a1 without how- Vever being capable of a longitudinal displacement. The vertical sliding rod u extends downwardly through the said sleeve u and is taken along during the rotation of the same in consequence of groove and feather engagement. It is obvious that owing to the engagement ofthe bevel wheels s1 s2 a coupling for simultaneous rocking motion is insured between s and u, Whereupon the longitudinal 4adjustment of the sliding rod u and that of the tubular slide 'r can take place independently 'o'f such common rotary motion. The shaft s is` provided at its end'with a sector-shaped wing 1 ,which mechanism of thecoin slide (Figs. 8 and 9).

The ,adjusting means (Figs. 6 and 7) consist essentially of a lever or articulated member p with slide g 'and connecting rod g1. The latter is linked to the tubular slide' 1^. The lever p is double-armed and adapted to rotate at a2; its one arm forms a support for the shifting rod p1 which can be slid parallel tothe rod u and is provided above with a fork 792, whereby it is adapted, when engaging under a collar of thefrod u, to raise or lower the latter according to' the angular' adjustment of the lever p. The slide g forms with its tracer and knob gx the member to be operated by hand; the notches 1, 2, 3 9 serve as indices, which -are provlded in a slotted guide or` index plate n (Figs. 6 and 7) with slots in the same order as the magazines m1 m2 m9 which are arranged in horizontal and vertical rows.

- slide r on the rocking shaft s,

The adjust-ment of the tracer either o n the top, middle or lower lever thus determines a corresponding angular position of the lever p and a corresponding elevation of the shifting rod p and the vertical sliding rod u; thus, in the position as indicated in Fig. 1, the adjustment takes place withrespect to the top horizontal -row Where the top cam u1 of the eccentric cams of the rod u exerts its action when the latter is rocked. The lateral or horizontal adjustment of the tracer on one of the index-notches 1, 2 V9 effects by means of the connecting rod g1 a corresponding adjustment of the tubular whereby according to the adjustment, the extension r1 r2 or r3 is moved into the order to be, adapted during the rocking motion of the shaft s or tubular slide 7 to meet the coincident hooked-shaped part of the rod el or 'v2 or o3. According to the position as indicatedin'Figs. 1- and 6, the adjustment is such that the rod `v2 is operated and consequently the selector-finger f2 is also operated.

A The coinslide mechanism is shown not /cam-slot g2,

proper positlon 1n -I `only in Figs. 1 and 2 but also in Figs-8 and yzhprotruding laterally from the wing y, Y

whlch also extends into the bifurcated receiver. Normally, when no coin is in the receiver, the coin-slide can be reciprocat-ed idly owing to the straight length of thel wherein the pin y2 slides idly to and fro. The wing g/ possesses besides the pin y2 a s lot y1, into which the ledge g1 may slide ineffectively during the idle movement of the coin slide.4 ,t

f a coin is received by the coin slide g before its outward movement, the coin rests between the ledge g1 and the wing y, as shown in Fig. 8. During the outward movement, the coin therefore takes the wing with it and imparts a rocking motion thereto, because the pin g2 slides in the vupwardly bent e'nd of the cam slot. O-wing to the upward \swinging movement of the wing y, the co-in finally loses its support and drops through an opening ofthe receiver into the collecting chamber.` The rocking movement imparted to the wing. g/ is transmitted to the previously described rocking members u and 1' and results in the operation of the properly positioned selector-finger or releaser 1n connection vwith one of the magazines.

The ledge g1 serves for holding back subsequently following coins m, which may have been nel. The herein describedoperation may be repeated according to the number of inserted coins. The described releasing mechanlsm (selector-fingers, tilting brackets, etc.) may also be so modified that the articlesV can be released at the front from magazines having vertically instead of horizontally piled packets.

What we claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In vending apparatus, the combination of a plurality of superposed rows of article magazines, ejecting mechanism appurtenant to each magazine, operatingv members for said ejecting mechanism arranged in series in correspondence 4with the ejecting mechanism, a rod supporting each series of operating members and holding the latter normally away from the ejecting mechanism, cams on said rod, means whereby previously inserted in the coin chansaid rod may be moved to bring one of the cams into engagement with one of the series of operating members, means for depressing one of said operating members into engage- 2. Vending apparatus wlt-h selective mechanism comprising a set of magazines arx ranged 1n several horizontal and several vertical rows, a number of tilting members each belonging to one horizontal row, a number of. vertical sliding rods, each belonging' to one vertical row'yand having selector-fingers which are adapted to coperate with the releasing devices of the said magazines and adjusting means consisting of ya longitudinally adjustable vertical rockin shaft, which is provided with cams in a dierential arrangement and is adapted to operate the tilting members, also a horizontally ad'ustable and likewise rocking shaft with iderentially arranged tappets, which are adapted to operate one o the vertical sliding rods, and means for imparting the rocking motion to the two rocking members, substantially asY v described.

3. In a selective vending apparatus of the `kind specified, a selective mechanism comprising a pair of lengthwise shiftable rocking members provided with diierentially shaped cams.,v a lever controlling with its one end the stroke of the one vertical member and provided on the other end with a tracer-slide, the tracer playing in a slotted index ,pla/te arranged according to the order of the horizontally and vertically disposed magazines, whereupon the differential move- .ment of the tracer-slideis imparted tothe other horizontally sliding member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signa- 

